November 27, 2025

Ensuring the safety of the U.S. food supply is an evolving priority, especially as new contaminants, pesticides, and environmental exposures continue to emerge. In June 2025, the U.S. FDA announced a new funding opportunity (RFA-FD-25-024) to support research evaluating chemical contaminants in school meal programs across public and nonprofit private schools. This initiative supports a broader FDA-led strategy focused on assessing both toxicological risk and nutritional quality in meals served under the National School Lunch Program.

These efforts reinforce the FDA’s ongoing regulatory mission: to monitor, assess, and control chemical contaminants and pesticide residues in the U.S. food supply—including both domestic and imported products.

Key Update: FDA Funding Opportunity for Schools

  • Funding Opportunity Code: RFA-FD-25-024
  • Purpose: Pilot research evaluating contaminants in school meals
  • Eligible Participants: Public and Nonprofit Private Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program
  • Submission Deadline: July 7, 2025 (11:59 PM local time)
  • Application Limit: One (1) submission per eligible school or district

The findings from this pilot will contribute to long-term national risk assessment frameworks, supporting safer meal programs for children.

Understanding Chemical Contaminants in Food Safety Compliance

Chemical contaminants cover a broad spectrum of substances that may unintentionally enter the food chain and pose potential safety risks. The FDA conducts routine and targeted testing programs to monitor contamination levels, assess risk, and enforce adulteration laws.

Categories of Chemical Contaminants

Type

Description

Examples

Environmental Contaminants

Enter food through soil, water, or air

Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Radionuclides, PFAS

Process Contaminants

Form during food processing or heating

Acrylamide, 3-MCPD Esters, Glycidyl Esters, Furan

Naturally Occurring Toxins

Produced by plants, fungi, bacteria, or algae

Mycotoxins, Microcystins, Hypoglycin A, Seafood toxins

The FDA sets tolerances, action levels, and enforcement thresholds, and maintains these in the Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool to guide industry compliance.

Pesticide Residues: Regulatory Oversight

Pesticides are widely used to protect crops from pests and diseases. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) establishes legal tolerance limits for pesticide residues, and the FDA enforces these limits through testing and compliance checks.

Manufacturers are required to:

  • Implement preventive controls under FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act)
  • Maintain supply-chain traceability and documentation
  • Ensure ingredient materials meet residue tolerance regulations

Non-compliance can result in:

  • Import refusals
  • Market withdrawal
  • Recalls
  • Civil or criminal enforcement actions

Why This Matters: Public Health & Regulatory Accountability

Certain contaminants such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and PFAS are scientifically linked to developmental and neurological effects—particularly concerning for children, making regulatory vigilance essential.

This 2025 initiative strengthens:

  • Transparency in contamination oversight
  • Early risk detection across school meal programs
  • Public trust in food quality and safety systems

How Maven Regulatory Solutions Supports Compliance

Maven Regulatory Solutions assists food and ingredient manufacturers, school meal program suppliers, importers, and contract manufacturers in:

  • Chemical Risk Assessment & Toxicological Evaluation
  • FSMA Preventive Controls & Hazard Analysis (HARPC) Implementation
  • Pesticide Residue Compliance & EPA/FDA Regulatory Alignment
  • Data Documentation for Regulatory Submissions & Audits
  •  Supplier Verification, Import Compliance & Surveillance Readiness

We ensure that organizations remain compliant, audit-ready, and aligned with FDA regulatory expectations.